Sustainer of the Year

Veletta Forsythe Lill

SUSTAINER OF THE YEAR

Veletta Forsythe Lill has been a dedicated JLD member for more than 20 years, serving in multiple roles including as a volunteer and Project Chair for The Family Place, where she learned about the victims and dynamics of domestic violence, as well as the complexities of an organization that serves multi-layered needs.

As an elected leader, Veletta represented District 14 on the Dallas City Council for eight years, from 1997 to 2005, and chaired the Arts, Education and Libraries Committee. Her passion for history and the arts drove her to focus on those topics during her Council tenure. A longtime arts and preservation advocate, Veletta served as Founding Director of the Dallas Arts District Foundation and was instrumental in shaping the growth of the Dallas Arts District, which includes the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Klyde Warren Park, Nasher Sculpture Center, Moody Performance Hall, Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas Black Dance Theatre and many more. Many of Dallas’ historic structures – including the Statler and Old Municipal Building – remain standing due to her efforts and activism.

Through the years, she has served on the boards of The Family Place, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Parks Foundation, Greater Dallas Planning Council, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, Parkland Foundation and many more.

Today, Veletta devotes her time to the efforts to reimagine Fair Park. She serves on the board of Fair Park First and as Chair of the Dallas Historical Society, which is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2022. Veletta also remains a staunch advocate for the restoration of the Hall of State – and now its repairs.